Modern vehicles typically include at least two pedals for controlling operation of the vehicle. Namely, most vehicles include an accelerator pedal that allows a user to control a speed of the vehicle and a brake pedal that allows the user to apply the brakes of the vehicle, thereby slowing down and/or stopping the vehicle. Vehicles may also include a clutch pedal if the vehicle is equipped with a manual transmission to allow a user to properly shift the manual transmission by engaging and disengaging a clutch of the vehicle through actuation of the clutch pedal.
When designing a vehicle, manufacturers typically position the accelerator pedal relative to the brake pedal to permit independent operation of each pedal and to allow a user to quickly move between use of the accelerator pedal and the brake pedal. If, for example, the vehicle is equipped with a manual transmission, the clutch pedal is similarly located relative to the brake pedal to provide the user with adequate space between the clutch pedal and the brake pedal to operate the clutch pedal and the brake pedal independently from one another and to permit the user to move between use of each pedal.
Generally, two or more pedals are positioned relative to each other in a number of directions for desirable operation of the pedals. For example, pedals are positioned in a cross-car, lateral, direction (also known as a step-over direction) so that the pedals are not spaced too close together and not spaced too far apart, laterally, for desirable pedal operation. The pedals can also be positioned in a lift-off direction where an operator contact surface of one pedal has a desirable offset in an elevation (lift-off) direction relative to an operator contact surface of another pedal. The pedal operator contact surface is, for example, a pedal surface the vehicle operator places a foot against to operate the pedal. Having one pedal contact surface positioned substantially at predetermined elevation relative to another pedal contact surface may desirable for pedal operation and/or operator comfort goals.
While vehicle manufacturers typically do not struggle with identifying the proper relative positions between the various pedals, accurately and repeatedly measuring the cross-car distance and the lift-off distance of the various pedals is often challenging. Conventional scales such as rulers and the like may be used to measure the relative position of the various pedals in the cross-car direction and the lift-off direction. However, such measurement devices do not provide reliable and repeatable results and therefore do not provide reliable information when applied amongst different vehicles.